Calling novelists a special breed, Mailer once said, "We're ...somewhere between psychologists, historians, detectives, students of style and manner - we have a capacity to do things that other people don't."

With a career of creative longevity and a larger-than-life public persona, Mailer courted controversy. He continued to write for over half a century... And worried about critics: "I care about reviews - they affect your wallet in the most direct fashion."